Since 1991, the Industrial Safety Training Council (ISTC) has been facilitating contractor compliance measures for Southeast Texas refineries and petrochemical plants. Tasked with the mission of improving process safety, the Beaumontand Baytown-based nonprofit has worked with industry to improve the performance and safety of the contractor workforce. Following an explosion in 1989, local plants heeded OSHA's call for process safety management by requiring contractors to train and follow strict safety measures. These measures include: personnel surety verification including positive identification and recurrent vetting, background screening, drug/alcohol testing and site-specific training for individual plants.
Today, the council credentials over 200,000 workers, promoting a 95-percent reduction in recordable incidents over the period, according to the Golden Triangle Business Roundtable's annual safety survey.
Ordinarily, 95-percent improvement is a worthy goal; however, plants in the region have adopted a zero-incident goal, challenging the council to enhance product offerings to contractors.
As industry seeks a zero-incident rate, the challenge falls to ISTC to facilitate the process. "Our owners, the plants, have been a remarkable source of new ideas," stated George Perrett, vice president of market development for the council. "Fortunately, as one plant implements a new protocol, others are patiently awaiting results and their implementation."
For example, in 2017, the council implemented a craft verification system wherein, upon verification of identity, the worker submits any craft certifications for authentication and, upon approval, is credentialed as any one of 30 industry-specific skills. "Craft badging saves lives and saves money for the plants. Workers are checked for skills prior to starting work; subsequently, the contract administrators can verify skills for payment," added Perrett.
Additionally, many plants are considering implementing a functional capacity exam (FCE) for their contractors. This simple assessment conducted at ISTC, along with other occupational testing, ensures safety, verifying the essential functions of a particular job can be met. For example, workers are asked to carry a 25-pound weight a distance, simulating the ability to carry a fire extinguisher on-site. Furthermore, workers are assessed on their ability to lift, kneel, balance, climb and carry as normal job activity requires. FCEs conducted prior to placing the worker in the field minimize risk to the individual, the contractor and the plant. FCEs need to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act requirement stating tests be "job-specific and focus on a comparison of capacity to actual job demands." Through the reviews of accidents and job safety analyses, challenging work activities can be identified and assessed in the lab, prior to the field. Companies and contractors are working together to identify hazardous conditions and keep tests in line with those associated activities.
In an effort to attain the goal of zero incidents, plants and contractors alike are taking incremental steps. FCEs, when combined with the other key components of an effective workforce compliance program, can improve safety, functional performance and enhance the overall goal of saving lives.
For more information, visit www. istc.net or contact George Perrett at (409) 527-3309.
